Abuse is often of service.
~ Johnson.
Jiya was back in her room. She plopped down on the bed and stared at the walls with a tight-lipped face. She was waiting for some real action. Not some power generation! She gripped her petulantly and it shrank back to its original size. She felt a little glum. then, she stood up and decided to change her clothes before Alex came back.
---
When Alex returned to the room, he saw Jiya reading with her glasses on. When he inched closer, he realized that she was reading the book of spells.
"Hey!" he called out jovially.
She looked up and gave him a half-smile.
"What were you thinking?" Alex asked with a miffed expression.
She didn't respond. Instead, she sighed with impatience.
Alex let out an annoyed sigh, "I was worried."
"Why did you not respond?" she darted him a grim look.
"I was... I was trying to help the old man", he stammered and blush.
She nodded quickly and closed the book with a sigh. She stood up from the bed and pulled out Marshmellow from her bag. She discovered it while she was arranging the uniform in it. She smiled with contentment.
"Are you going to... to sleep? Like already?" he creased his brows.
She pinched her nose with a sullen look. Then, she climbed up the bed and laid down with a sigh with her back to Alex. She pulled Marshmellow over and covered herself.
"Go to sleep, Alex," she said with an annoyed and exasperated sigh.
"What made you so... so enraged?" he stuttered and chewed his lower lip.
"Go to sleep", she rubbed her eyes.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
Jiya rubbed the nape of her neck before she said, "I am not angry with you. I am just... disappointed."
"Disappointed?" Alex had a befuddled look on his face.
"Yeah, I was expecting an adventure", she buried her face in her hands.
"Oh?" Alex laughed nervously.
"Yeah, go to sleep", she sighed exasperatedly.
Alex didn't respond. Instead, he sat down the bed. With a disappointed sigh, he laid down on the bed and stared blankly into space. He closed his eyes and fatigue kicked in.
---
The next morning, the sky was dotted with fluffy clouds as Jiya fixed her gaze through the glass window. She curled up into a ball under Marshmallow. She yawned loudly before she sat up. Instinctively, she glanced at the bed beside her. There was no sign of Alex. She gave the bed a blue look before she got down from her bed. She pulled out her short boots and wore them. Suddenly, her eyes fell on her mirror amulet. Her eyes widened at what she saw. The mirror displayed what looked like an Institute. And she knew what it meant.
"What are you looking at?" Alex suddenly appeared beside her out of nowhere.
Jiya gasped, "You scared me."
He shrugged and shoved his hands inside his pocket.
"Is this the Institute?" Jiya showed him the mirror.
His eyes lit up. He crinkled his eyes and smiled, nodding.
"Then? We must leave", Jiya had a keen expression on her face.
Alex nodded, "Sure."
"Do you think I should change back into the uniform?" she asked as she twisted the ring on her right index finger.
Alex gave her a quick nod and left the room. She looked at his retreating figure, rubbed the nape of her neck and sighed. Then, she quickly got rid of her clothes and changed into the uniform. She opened the door and craned her neck to look. There was no sign of Alex. Her forehead creased and she sighed before closing the door. She arranged the bag, wore the Smitchwatch, secured the wand in one of the pockets, checked on her box of secrets and finally sat down on the bed. Soon, she saw Alex peek through the door.
"Let's go", he jerked his thumb outside.
She nodded as she rose from the bed. She smoothed down her cloak as she bent down to pick up the bag. She took one look around to see if there was anything left behind. Then, she exited the room. Both of them walked side by side until they stepped out. They saw the old man, Vladimir standing outside. He had his hands clasped behind his back. Only last night, he was wriggling in coal under his weird generator. But now, his eyes were filled with tears. He pressed his lips together without a word.
Both Alex and Jiya nodded at him and walked ahead. The city faded from view and the entire landscape changed. The landscape was musty and damp, giving Jiya a ghastly feel. A gust of wind blew on her face like a blow dryer.
"Ew", she covered her nose, "What is this place?"
Alex snorted in a sardonic way. It ticked Jiya off and she gave him a dark look. It made Alex tease her more. He gave her the most sarcastic of his smiles. Before she could give him a black look, she was dragged away. Her body felt as if it had crossed an invisible water fountain. She looked back and saw the invisible thing shimmer before reverting to normal. She looked ahead of her and saw the vast area stretched in front of her. And there it was, the Institution in its full glory. Many students in a similar uniform were marching the grounds, smiling, chatting, jerking away.
Jiya's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Her eyes kept blinking, while she devoured everything with her eyes.
"Take a picture", Alex gave her ecstatic smile, "It will last longer."
Jiya pressed her lips into a thin line and glared at him. He gave her a scornful look. Jiya rolled her eyes with a sigh and looked ahead. In the distance, she could see a fountain. She titled her head.
"Alex!" a girl just her age came running towards him. As soon as the distance closed between them, she hugged him and buried her face on his shoulder. Jiya pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes with a frown.
Moments later, Jiya widened her eyes when she saw Alex leaning forward as he kissed the girl on her lips. She sighed and looked the other way.